The Radiant Dawn
by kooba2
Summary: Another short and simple scene between two lovers.


Leona brushed the door aside, totally unaware of the force she applied in doing so, until she heard the door slam against the adjacent wall.

The musician, who had been sound asleep on the couch, jumped with surprise at the sudden loud noise in the couple's home. Her fear was quickly replaced by joy when she saw that the source of the ruckus was her lover, returned home.

"Sorry" Leona said, with a shrug and a half smile. As she spoke, she placed her sword and glistening shield by the door, where they both caught the sunlight coming in from a nearby window.

Sona gracefully rose from the couch, and made her way across the room. Leona's eyes followed her as she walked. The musician was so graceful and elegant, that watching her do something as simple as walk was a sight to behold.

"Welcome home, dear" Sona's musical voice echoed in her lover's mind. "Were you victorious?"

As she 'voiced' the question, she stepped around the warrior standing before her, to her left, and drew a fingertip across the taller woman's chin as she went. Leona turned her head to follow the musician as she moved, but Sona reached behind her, and placed her other hand on Leona's right shoulder; an indication to stay.

"No, one of my allies decided not to fight, and remained by the base for the whole battle." Leona said with a hint of disdain. "My fighting style focuses on synergy with another warrior, so naturally, I was at a disadvantage."

Leona sighed heavily, recalling all the times she had to fight solo in the past, due to a complacent ally.

"It wasn't...fair" the proud warrior said with a pained face. Sona knew her lover took great pride in her martial prowess. Losses, though few and far between, always weighed heavily on the woman.

Sona was standing directly behind her lover at this point. She reached forward, sliding both of her hands down her lover's chest. When her hands found the brass buckles of Leona's chest armor, she began to unclasp them. Leona looked down at the musician's fingers as she worked. Her fingers were long, perfectly formed, and moved with such grace that Leona found it hard to imagine they belonged to someone who would even give her the time of day.

As Sona finished unbuckling the breastplate, it fell to the floor in front of the warrior with a soft clang, and Leona, now free of the metal plate, took a deep breath. As she did so, she caught the musician's perfume, the lavender scent filling her nostrils and bringing forth pleasant memories of the many nights the couple spent together, cuddled in front of the fire, each sharing with the other an element of their respective skills. Sona could make little use of Leona's martial lessons, and Leona's attempts at music were generally met with broken strings and the soft, barely audible giggles that the mute musician was capable of.

Sona now moved on to the warrior's pauldrons. The pieces of armor were falling to the floor, one after another, and were forming a pile at the Chosen of the Sun's feet. Sona was surprised by the temperature of her partner's armor. At first, she expected to be met by the brisk report of cold steel, but was pleasantly surprised by a warmth emanating from the armor. It felt like it had been warmed by the sun itself, since the temperature was that of a pleasant sunny day.

Leona's arms and chest were free now, and she instantly felt relaxed. The company of her lover could heal any grievances the day brought about, and she only wished she could convey how much the musician's mere presence meant to her.

She heard a slight rustling behind her, and when she turned to look, she immediately blushed. Sona was on her knees, behind her, and was reaching down unbuckling the warrior's greaves. "Why are you blushing, you idiot. She's just helping you with your armor" Leona thought to herself.

Leona tried to stand as motionless as possible as the musician went about her business of removing every piece of armor. Leona didn't know what to do during this, so her lack of conviction lead to inaction. This outcome was so unfamiliar to her. On the battlefield, her instincts were so sharp that she barely had a moment of inaction. She was never without purpose, never without drive, and was always in control of every situation she ever found herself in. Every day, she faced down horrors of the void, unnatural beasts, and other warriors who were each also renowned for their skills. But here she was, completely immobilized by the dainty waif behind her, unable to move, and afraid of the near future.

Leona nearly jumped when she felt a soft sensation on her thigh. Sona was running her fingertips up and down the warrior's right thigh, feeling the soft material of Leona's undergarments. The dark burgundy suit that Leona wore under her armor was made of fine silk, and Sona was appreciating the texture against her equally soft hands. This made the warrior blush again, and she reached up and placed both her hands, clasped together, under her chin; a habit she had for whenever she was timid or embarrassed. She literally had not done so since she was seven years old, when she was still a novice in the training halls of Mount Targon. Timidness and embarrassment had no place in her life as a warrior since then.

All of her armor, save for her metal heels, had been removed. Sona, still kneeling, lightly placed her right hand on the back of her lover's right calf. She lightly placed her left hand on the bottom of Leona's right shin, near the ankle. It took a second for Leona to comprehend her intention, but when she understood, she balanced on her left leg, as Sona raised her lover's right foot towards herself. With her right hand supporting her lover's foot, her left removed the golden metal shoe. Leona was glad to be rid of her shoes after a long day of battle, and was truly thankful and in admiration of the care with which Sona was helping her remove her armor. What came next however, surprised her. She felt that she was balancing for a few extra seconds now, so she looked back behind her to see what was going on. Sona had actually been collecting the armor as it fell, and was now arranging it with care on the floor neatly. When she added the shoe to the arrangement, she turned her attention back to Leona. With her foot still in her grasp, she gave it one quick, but elegant, little kiss, on the sole, before releasing it. Blood shot into Leona's cheeks, and she immediately clasped her hands together under her chin harder than she had ever done in her life. As she felt her lover's hands on her other leg, in the same position as before, she considered not letting her lift her foot. She had kissed her foot. How could she let her lover do that? She adored this woman with every fiber of her being, how could she let her be doing something like kissing her feet?

"Please, Leona". The musician's voice entered her mind, and she complied immediately, without another thought.

The musician lifted the warrior's other foot, and, just as before, added the shoe to the neat arrangement on the floor, turned back to her lover, gave her foot one quick and elegant kiss on the sole, and the released her foot.

Leona now stood in the middle of the room, her armor arranged at her feet, with her lover kneeling behind her, also not making a sound. Several seconds passed, but for each of them, what was a mere ten seconds felt like as many minutes.

The couple had enjoyed plenty of romantic evenings together before, but those were all lighthearted, and featured story telling and other distractions. This physical intimacy was a frontier that was unknown to Leona. Her entire childhood revolved around training her body and mind to be that of a warrior, and her recent ascension to the Chosen of the Sun placed a great many more responsibilities upon her. However, in the recent months, her time in the League actually gave her more free time than she expected it to. Of course, it also lead to her meeting the Maven of the Strings, for which she would be eternally grateful.

As she was lost in these thoughts, a sudden intrusion in her mind was startling. "Leona". Hearing the woman say her name grabbed her full attention as fast as any opponent in battle could have. She didn't know what to expect. Another feeling she was unaccustomed to. Why could she read the actions of warriors so effortlessly, but be so dumbfounded by a lover?

"Leona".

"Yes?"

"Are you with me?"

"What?"

"You seem distant. Is something wrong?"

"No! No, I just..."

Her words failed her. What could she say? I've never had sex? Does she just tell her outright? Surely she would laugh. 'It wasn't my fault', Leona thought to herself. Her lifestyle just didn't allow for much intimacy.

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous." There. That should do it. Not too much information, but essentially the truth, if a bit of an understatement.

"You're a big strong warrior, are you not?"

Fuck. She was teasing now. 'I knew this would happen' Leona thought to herself. She analyzed the quickest escape routes from the room, using her trained mind. She concluded that a dive through the window would be roughly one full second quicker than bolting for the door.

"On the battlefield, maybe. But..." Maybe?! Since when was Leona, The Radiant Dawn a timid little girl who disparaged her own abilities?

Sona sat up on her knees, so her face was roughly at ass level. Leona thanked the Sun that the other woman could not see her face, as her cheeks were rose red and her eyes darted around the room looking for help. Sona reaching her arms up and around the taller woman's thighs, until she placed her open palms on Leona's stomach, only exasperated the situation. Feeling the woman's toned abs made Sona blush as well, though, she was not embarrassed for blushing.

"Use your instincts. Just follow your impulses."

'What? My instincts all involve hurting people', Leona thought to herself. 'I'm a warrior. People end up in the hospital when my instincts are the driving force behind my actions.'

"I need you to take control here".

Could that be...what the woman intended? Could she want the aggressive and violent instincts of a warrior?

"I...want...you to, as well".

'I guess that settles it then' Leona thought to herself.

Leona brushed the smaller woman's arms away from herself, and turned to face her. Sona looked up at the suddenly lively woman, with a happy and expectant look on her face.

Leona made one quick mental prayer to the Sun that she was doing the right thing, and grabbed the smaller woman, one hand grabbing the smaller woman's arm, the other wrapping around her throat. She lifted her off the floor, one third by the musician's own accord, one third by her arm, and the final third by her throat. The look on Sona's face was partially of surprise, which gave Leona pause, but the look of extreme contentment that followed drove Leona onward.


End file.
